Total pages in book: 34
Estimated words: 32348 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 162(@200wpm)___ 129(@250wpm)___ 108(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 32348 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 162(@200wpm)___ 129(@250wpm)___ 108(@300wpm)
So that was why she was fucking wheezing.
His mind told her it had to be an illusion. But the way his heart had already gone crazy told him he wasn’t imagining anything.
It was really her.
Poppy, my love.
She looked exactly like the girl he had seen the first time. Long hair in a braid, shirt and jeans, and even her leather apron from Salon Joyieux.
“Hi there,” Poppy said with a self-conscious smile.
But all he did was stare at her.
“Valerian?”
Poppy had rehearsed this moment countless times in her mind. But when she realized how Valerian was staring at her like she had made the biggest mistake in her life for showing up in front of him—
“I c-can say the same now,” she said jerkily.
“Say what?”
The curtness of his voice was intimidating. Please, God. She had come here with a plan, and not even Valerian himself would make her stray from it.
“That thing you told me before. I can also say the same.”
His lips tightened, but she told herself not to mind this.
“For the past few days...y-you were the f-first thing I thought about and the l-last thing, too.”
But the words caused Valerian’s handsome face to completely lose color.
“What the h—what are you doing here, Poppy?” Valerian asked rawly.
“You don’t sound happy to see me.”
Happy? Was she seriously asking him that? Happy was the lamest and most inadequate word to describe the way his chest felt like it was about to explode. And the part of him that he had done his best to ignore—
The part that had been convinced Poppy was gone from his life for good, and that it was only a matter of time before the buzzing in his head resumed—
That part of him was still reeling.
And unable to accept that Poppy was truly standing in front of him.
“You shouldn’t be here.” Valerian needed to try one more time to make Poppy see reason.
“I beg to differ. I think I’m exactly where I should be now.”
Why, God?
It didn’t feel right to hear Poppy saying the words he hadn’t even allowed himself to dream.
Why is she here, when I’ve hurt her so much?
Why am I being forgiven so damn easily?
“Um, Valerian? My knees are starting to hurt.”
His words snapped him back to his senses, and Valerian couldn’t remember feeling this big of an idiot.
Get yourself together!
“I’m sorry, Poppy.” His mind was a fucking mess. His heart was racing so damn fast it was as if he was a schoolboy about to ask a girl out for the first time. And his hands—he couldn’t stop them from shaking at the thought that after what seemed like an eternity, he was about to reach for her again. Touch her. Feel her.
But just as Valerian’s fingers had cupped her elbow, and he was about to help her up—
Poppy shook her head, and his stomach turned upside down.
What now?
Did she realize the truth, and that was that he didn’t deserve her at all?
Was she allowed to change her mind, God?
“Not yet,” Poppy said.
What the fuck did that even mean?
“Or at least not until you answer my question.”
Valerian only stared at her. Only at this moment did he realize it was actually possible to want to kiss a girl and shake sense into her at the same time.
“Are you trying to kill me?” he asked grimly.
“I wasn’t—”
“Just ask whatever you have to ask,” he gritted out. “Whatever it is—”
“Will you marry me?”
Had he fucking heard her right?
“Again?”
Valerian’s eyes squeezed shut. God. God. God.
“And this time, no longer in secret?”
Poppy’s voice was shaking, and when he opened her eyes again, it was to see her already crying.
“Because I want the whole world to know—”
He pulled her off her knees and into his lap, and her teary laugh was lost in his kiss as he fell back against his seat.
God. God. God.
Poppy’s arms wrapped around his neck. He had let his hair grow longer, and for one moment, terror reared its ugly head up—
Please God, don’t.
And for once, Valerian heard His voice just fine.
I won’t.
Her fingers brushed against his curls again and again. But nothing happened.
Nothing.
He was free of the past.
Free of his old self.
God. God. God.
In Poppy’s kiss, Valerian tasted hope, forgiveness, and love.
Thank You. God. Thank You.
Epilogue
“I JUST DON’T UNDERSTAND,” Heather said with genuine sorrow. “I mean, Charlotte. You don’t understand it either, do you?”
Charlotte had a hard time suppressing her smile as she studied Poppy, who stood in the circle of her husband’s arms across the room.
“She’s normally the cutest thing, but every time she’s with my brother, she starts smiling the way she is now...”
Poppy’s smile did look rather creepy, Charlotte thought ruefully. But who cared? Valerian was currently gazing at his wife like she was the most beautiful girl in the world. That was all that mattered.
Heather excused herself to see other guests, and Charlotte felt very much like a fairy godmother when her gaze returned to Valerian and his wife, whose birthday they were all celebrating.